Rotary tooth-brush.



J. HICKMAN. ROTARY TOOTH BRUSH.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3. 1915.

1,225,955, Patented May15,-1917.

JOHN HICKMAN, 0F TANGLEFLAG, SASKATCHEWAN, CANADA.

ROTARY TOOTH-BRUSH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 15, 1917.

Application filed June 3, 1915.- Serial No. 32,019.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN HIoKMAN, a subject of the Kingof England, residing at In carrying out my invention it is my purpose to provide an article of this character wherein the brush proper includes a pair of spaced disks provided with oppositely disposed bristles so that both the outer and inner faces of the teeth may be simultaneously cleaned with the brush.

Another purpose of my invention is the provision of a rotary tooth brush wherein the two brush members are mounted so as to be movable toward and from each other during the cleaning operation, and by this arrangement the brushes, as they pass from the relatively thin front teeth to the relatively thick back teeth, will be forced apart to compensate for variations in the width of the teeth, the result being that whether the brush is traveling over the sides of the faces of the front teeth or over the faces of the rear teeth, the bristles of the brush will be uniformly and constantly in contact with the teeth.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a tooth brush which will embody the desired features of simplicity, efficiency and convenience, and which embodying as it does, but relatively few parts, may be manufactured and marketed at a comparatively low cost.

With the above recited objects and others of a similar nature in view, my invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts set forth in and falling within the scope of the a pended claims.

In the accompanying rawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a brush embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1. s

Fig. 4 is a front view of one of the bristle disks of the brush.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the letter A designates the handle portion of the brush which may be of any preferred form and composed of any suitable material.

The reduced shank section 1 of the brush terminates in a fork 2, the relatively straight arm 3 of which is longer and projects beyond the end of the curved arm 4. The arm 3 has formed intermediate its length a recess 5, while extending inward from the end of the curved arm 4 is a short tubular stud 6. The brush portion proper of the article embraces the two disks 7 and 8 respectively, these disks being concavo-convex, with the convex faces thereof confronting. Each of the disks is further provided with a plurality oif bristle tufts 9, these tufts being preferably triangular in form, as shown in Fig. 4, and when the two disks are assembled in the completed article the bristles extend inward in opposite directions, as shown in Fig. 1. The disk 7 is provided with a screw spindle 10 which projects through the disk, the end 11 thereof being adapted to seat tightly in the recess 5 in the arm 3. This shank 10 has threaded thereon a collar nut 12 to limit the inward movement of the disk 8 toward the disk 7, as may be hereinafter apparent. This disk 8 is provided with a tubular stud 13 threaded interiorly for the reception of the adjacent portion of the screw shank 10. Extending from the outer face of this disk 8 is a pin 14 which is inserted in the tubular stud 6 at the end of the arm 4, this tubular stud forming a bearing for the pin 14.

From the above description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,

the construction and operation of my invention will be readily apparent. Referring to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the relatively thin front teeth are conventionally illustrated at F, while the back teeth are shown at B. Now, when the two disks of the brush are assembled in the fork of the handle, as shown in Fig. 1, the disk 8 with its bristles works on the back faces of the teeth, while the disk 7 with its bristles works on the front faces of the teeth. As the brush is pushed from the front teeth to the back teeth, the two disks gradually recede or move away from each other, this being causedv by the action of the screw shank 10 working in the threaded tubular stud 13, the stud 11 fitting in its seat 5 .so as to prevent rotation of the disk 7 while the disk 8 is free to rotate, while when the brush is drawn from the back teeth toward the front teeth again, the disks gradually approach each other or close, so that the bristles will at all times be held constantly and uniformly in engagement with the teeth.

What I claim is 1. In an article of the class described, the combination with a handle, of a pair of spaced rotary disks provided with oppositely extending bristles, means rotatably supporting the disks on the handle, and a connection between said disks whereby the movement of the brush in one direction over the teeth will cause the disks to recede relatively to each other, and the movement of the handle in the opposite direction over the teeth will cause the'disks to approach each other.

2. The combination with a handle, of a pair of spaced rotary brushes carried thereby, a connection between the brushes whereby when the article is moved in one direction over the teeth the bristles will be moved over the teeth the bristles will be moved toward each other.

3. In a rotary tooth brush, the combine:

' tion with a handle terminating in a forked section,

a threaded spindle having one end socketed in one of the arms of the .forked section, a disk mounted upon the spindle f and provided with bristles, a second disk having a, pin adapted to rotatably bear in the other arm of the forked section, a tubular stud carried by said second disk and threaded interiorly to receive the threaded spindle of the first mentioned disk, and,

bristles carried by the second disk and projecting in the opposite direction to the bristles of the first mentioned disk.

In testimony whereof, I afiixmy signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN HICIQIAN. Witnesses:

P. O. DAHL, 10. O. DAHL. 

